WEEK 4 - Avoiding Plagiarism and Referencing (APA)

How to Avoid Plagiarism | Tips on Citing Sources

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas without properly crediting the
original author. Sometimes plagiarism involves deliberately stealing someone’s work, but
more often it happens accidentally, through carelessness or forgetfulness.
When you write an academic paper, you build upon the work of others and use
various credible sources for information and evidence. To avoid plagiarism, you need to
correctly incorporate these sources into your text.
You can avoid plagiarism by:
1. Keeping track of the sources you consult in your research
2. Paraphrasing or quoting from your sources (and adding your own ideas)
3. Crediting the original author in an in-text citation and in your reference list
4. Using a plagiarism checker before you submit
Even accidental plagiarism can have serious consequences, so take care with how you
integrate sources into your writing.
Keeping track of your sources
One of the most common ways that students commit plagiarism is by simply forgetting
where an idea came from and unintentionally presenting it as their own. You can easily
avoid this pitfall by keeping your notes organized and compiling a list of citations as you
go.
Clearly label which thoughts are yours and which aren’t in your notes, highlight
statements that need citations, and carefully mark any text copied directly from a source
with quotation marks.
In the example below, red indicates a claim that requires a source, blue indicates
information paraphrased or summarized from a source, and green indicates a direct
quotation.

Avoiding plagiarism when quoting

Quoting means copying a piece of text word for word. The copied text must be
introduced in your own words, enclosed in quotation marks, and correctly attributed to
the original author.
In general, quote sparingly. Quotes are appropriate when:
 You’re using an exact definition, introduced by the original author
 It is impossible for you to rephrase the original text without losing its meaning
 You’re analyzing the use of language in the original text
 You want to maintain the authority and style of the author’s words
Original text “Arts and culture undoubtedly flourished in the ’20s as a shared American
pop culture emerged thanks to the advent of radio broadcasting, widely circulated
magazines and movies” (Thulin, 2021).
Quoted incorrectly In the 1920s, arts and culture undoubtedly flourished in the US due
to the advent of radio broadcasting, widely circulated magazines and movies.
Quoted correctly In the 1920s, “arts and culture undoubtedly flourished” in the US due to
“the advent of radio broadcasting, widely circulated magazines and movies” (Thulin,
2021).
Avoiding plagiarism when paraphrasing
Paraphrasing means using your own words to explain something from a source.
Paraphrasing does not mean just switching out a few words from a copy-pasted text. To
paraphrase properly, you should rewrite the author’s point in your own words to show
that you have fully understood it.
Original text “Plastics harm wildlife in myriad ways, many of which scientists are just
beginning to grasp. When birds, fish and other larger animals eat plastics, the material
can get tangled up inside their bodies and cause damage; plastics can also make animals
feel falsely full, so they stop eating” (Dzombak, 2021).
Paraphrased incorrectly: Plastics hurt animals in a lot of ways, many of which scientists
are just starting to understand. When birds, fish and
other bigger animals swallow plastics, the substance can get tangled up inside
their stomachs and cause harm; plastics can also make animals feel artificially full, so
they cease eating.
Paraphrased well: Scientists are still learning the extent to which plastics harm animals.
According to Dzombak (2021), ingesting plastic can lead to internal damage if it gets
tangled when swallowed, and can also lead animals to feel falsely full. Both prevent them
from getting the nutrients they need.
Citing your sources correctly
Every time you quote or paraphrase, you must include an in-text or footnote
citation clearly identifying the original author. Each citation must correspond to a full
reference in the reference list or bibliography at the end of your paper.
This acknowledges the source of your information, avoiding plagiarism, and it helps your
readers locate the source for themselves if they would like to learn more.
There are many different citation styles, each with its own rules. A few common styles
are APA, MLA , and Chicago. The most important thing is to apply one style consistently
throughout the text.
Using a plagiarism checker
Most universities use plagiarism checkers like Turnitin to detect potential plagiarism.
Here’s how plagiarism checkers work: they scan your document, compare it to a database
of webpages and publications, and highlight passages that appear similar to other texts.
Consider using a plagiarism checker yourself before submitting your paper. This allows
you to identify issues that could constitute accidental plagiarism, such as:
 Forgotten or misplaced citations
 Missing quotation marks
 Paraphrased material that’s too similar to the original text
APA
Referencing can be viewed as a simple convention, or an important part of the way an
effective piece of academic writing is constructed. In fact a combination of the two is the
best way to think about this. Good referencing involves accurate citation of academic
sources as an essential part of the structure of written academic argument.
There are two main systems for referencing: a) the author-date system; b) the
documentary note system or humanities style. The documentary note system provides
bibliographic citations in notes which may or may not be accompanied by a bibliography.
This system is often used by scholars of literature, history, and the arts (The University of
Chicago, 2003). One of the most authoritative guides to the documentary note system is
The Chicago Manual of Style (which also includes a chapter about the author-date
system). The author-date system uses citations in the text (the author’s surname and year
of publication) with full information about the source provided in a reference list (not a
bibliography which includes sources not cited in the main text). The author-date system
has been used by the physical and natural sciences for a long time and is now
increasingly used in the social sciences and humanities.
The guide for the author-date system which is increasingly used by the social sciences is
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (American
Psychological Association, 2001). The Harvard System is a popular general term for a
range of author-date systems but it does not have a recognised style guide or manual. The
APA manual is usually referred to by its edition number so currently the abbreviated
name is APA 5th. The faculty bases its referencing guidelines on APA 5th for several
reasons. It is helpful to have an agreed in-house style in order to reduce the time that can
be wasted on referencing if there is lack of agreement on style (most publishers and
journals have an in-house style for this reason). The manual for APA 5th is particularly
thorough and generally clear. Many highly ranked education journals use APA 5th. APA
5th is well supported by referencing software such as EndNote or the shareware package
Zotero (a brief introduction to these packages will follow later). All students are
encouraged to use this faculty guidance in order to set out citations and reference lists.
The guidance does not preclude the use of the documentary note system if the research
focus is one that would be better served by that system (although this guide does not
cover those conventions).
Citations in Text
This section shows how you should set out citations in essays, a thesis, and in many
academic
journals. One important general principle to think about is that a citation should not
disrupt the grammar of the sentence that it is located within. This is true for quotations as
well, even if an indented quote of 40 words or more is used.
Single author
The basic form of author-date citation:
... that we currently consider as legitimate elements (Villarreal, 2008).
Sometimes the author’s name is used within the grammar of the sentence:
Villarreal (2008) calls this transition the shift from ...
If a text has been accepted for publication but not yet published:
... according to Ruthven (in press) it generally fulfilled the following requirements: ...
Two authors
Both authors’ names should be cited each time:
... which are the influences on technology use in classrooms (Ruthven & Hennessy, 2002)
Notice the use of the & sign in the example above. However, when citing as part of a
sentence the full word ‘and’ is used:
Ruthven and Hennessy (2002) offered a model of ...
Three or more authors
When a source has three, four or five authors cite all authors the first time.
... which are the various aspects of technology integration (Hennessy, Ruthven, &
Brindley,
2005)
For subsequent citations of the same source use the name of the first author followed by
et al. (not italicised and with a full stop after al).
... and an increasing amount of activity (Hennessy et al., 2005)
Six or more authors:
Use et al. for all citations. In the reference list provide names for six authors. If more than
six
shorten the reference to et al. after the sixth author.
Two or more sources in relation to a point
Authors are listed in date order:
... strategy learning could result in better approaches to study by students (Crawford,
Nicholas, & Prosser, 1998; Trigwell, Prosser, & Waterhouse, 1999; Trigwell & Prosser,
2004).
unless the same author is listed more than once in which case the surname is listed only
once,
followed by the respective years of publication. (Trigwell & Prosser, 2004, 2005, in-
press).
Personal communication
Personal communication should be referenced by giving the exact date of conversation:
…students had difficulties with APA style (E. Robbins, personal communication, January
4,
2001).
A. P. Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style
(personal
communication, November 3, 2002).
Note, personal communication should not be included in your reference list.
E-mail
Similarly to personal communication e-mails should be cited within the text and not in
the reference list:
…students had difficulties with APA style (E. Robbins, personal communication, January
4,
2001).
Secondary source
The term secondary source is used in a different way in APA 5th to the way it is
understood in other disciplines. Primary sources are usually regarded as manuscript
collections, archives, contemporary accounts, diaries, personal interviews, etc. Secondary
sources are other publications, on the same subject that is being written about, that are
used as part of the academic argument. In the APA 5th, secondary source means referring
to a source that you did not read, instead relying on someone else’s account. This is
something to be avoided, but if necessary then it must be clearly cited in the following
way:
In relation to the teaching of reading the phrase ’the great debate’ has been attributed to
Chall (as cited in Wray and Medwell, 1994)…
The reference list gives the secondary source which in this case would be Wray and
Medwell
Quotes
The main reason for having a direct quote is if it is particularly important to your
argument and you want to emphasise that the author of the quote has something really
significant to say. Notice that a long quote of 40 or more words should be indented with
author, date and page number placed either in the introductory text or immediately
following the quote. You do not need quotation marks for a quote of this kind. Here’s
what the first part of this paragraph would look like when laid out as a long quote:
The main reason for having a direct quote is if it is particularly important to your
argument and you want to emphasise that the author of the quote has something
really significant to say. Notice that a long quote of 40 or more words should be
indented with author, date and page number placed either in the introductory text
or immediately following the quote.
(Faculty of Education, 2008, p. 3)
A quote of less than 40 words should have double quotation marks and should not be
indented. Single quotation marks are used for quotes within quotes. They are also used
for direct speech and turns of phrase.
Reference List
The reference list must appear at the end of your text. It should start on a new page and
be titled References. Here are some basic rules:
 Each source you cite in the text must appear in the reference list.
 Each entry in the reference list must be cited in your text
 List references in alphabetical order and, for multiple references for the same
author, in date order.
 References must have a hanging indent (see format of references at the end of this
section)
When compiling your reference list you need to check each citation to ensure it
matches its entry in the reference list. You also need to ensure that any references that
are not cited in the text are deleted. Use the formats below to set out the different
kinds of reference.
Book
First Edition
Wyse, D. (2006). The Good Writing Guide for Education Students. London: Sage
Publications
Ltd.
Subsequent editions:
Wyse, D. (2007). The Good Writing Guide for Education Students (2nd ed.). London:
Sage
Publications Ltd.
Edited books
Note the way that the names of the editors are not reversed as they are for all other
references.
Giblets, K.N., & Homey, J.N. (Eds.). (1993). Children behaviors: Behavior
modifications and
interventions. San Francisco: Jonessy-Blithum.
Chapter in an edited book:
Trouche, L. (2005). An instrumental approach to mathematics learning in symbolic
calculators environments. In D. Guin, K. Ruthven, & L. Trouche (Eds.), The
didactical challenge of symbolic calculators: Turning a computational device into
a mathematical instrument (pp. 137-162). New York: Springer.
Journal article
Ruthven, K., & Hennessy, S. (2002). A practitioner model of the use of computer-based
tools
and resources to support mathematics teaching and learning. Educational Studies
in Mathematics, 49(1), 47-88.
Hennessy, S., Ruthven, K., & Brindley, S. (2005). Teacher perspectives on integrating
ICT into
subject teaching: commitment, constraints, caution, and change. Journal of
Curriculum Studies, 37(2), 155-192.
Journals article in press
Ruthven, K. (in press). Herschel’s heritage and today’s technology integration: a
postulated
parallel. Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science.
Newspaper article
Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to strengthen state energy policies. The
Country
Today, pp. 1A-2A.
Magazine article
Henry, W. A., III. (1990, April 9). Making the grade in today's schools. Time, 135, 28-31.
Report
Becker, H. J. (2001). How are teachers using computers in instructions? Meetings of the
 American Educational Research Association: National Survey Report. Irvine, CA:
Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations, University of
California Irvine.
Report by organization
Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). (1999). The annual report of Her Majesty's
chief
inspector of schools: standards and quality in education 1997/98. London: Her
Majesty’s Stationary Office (HMSO).
Paper in conference proceedings
Buteau, C., & Muller, E. (2006). Evolving technologies integrated into undergraduate
mathematics education. In L. H. Son, N. Sinclair, J.-B. Lagrange & C. Hoyles
(Eds.), Proceedings of ICMI Study # 17: Digital technologies in mathematics
education-Rethinking the terrain. Hanoi Institute of Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Conference proceedings as a whole
Schnase, J.L., & Cunnius, E.L. (Eds.). (1995). Proceedings from CSCL '95: The First
International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative Learning.
Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Unpublished conference paper
Greer, M. A., Hudson, L. M., & Wiersma, W. (1999). The constructivist teaching
inventory: a
new instrument for assessing constructivist teaching practices in the elementary
grades. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Dissertation
Cooley, L. A. (1995). Evaluating the effects on conceptual understanding and
achievement of
enhancing an introductory calculus course with a Computer Algebra System.
Unpublished doctoral dissertation, New York University, New York, NY.
Dissertation abstract
Yoshida, Y. (2001). Essays in urban transportation (Doctoral dissertation, Boston
College,
2001). Dissertation Abstracts International, 62, 7741A.
Electronic source
Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED). (1999). A review of primary schools 1994–
1998.
Retrieved July 11, 2000, from
http://www.officialdocuments.co.uk/document/ofsted/ped/ped.htm
Computer software
SPSS. (2005). Statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (Version 13.1)
[computer
software]. Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.
Film/video
Adamson, A., & Jenson, V. (Directors) (2001). Shrek [Motion Picture]. In A. Warner, J.
H.
Williams & J. Katzenberg (Producers). United States: DreamWorks.
Should be cited in the following way (using and rather than &):
The humorous way that Shrek (Adamson and Jenson, 2001) satirises classic…
Video
Baddeley, G. (Ed.) (1992). Learning together through talk [Videocassette]. In Oracy
Video
(Producer). United Kingdom: Hodder and Stoughton.
Cited regularly:
The Baddeley (1992) video supports the pack by showing…
Television broadcast
Important, I. M. (Producer). (1990, November 1). The nightly news hour [Television
broadcast]. New York: Central Broadcasting Service.
Guidelines for submitted work: Presentation
Text
Typescript: the typescript should be presented in double or 1.5 spacing on one side only
of A4 paper with ample margins to left and right. It is usual to use Times, Times Roman
or Palatino 12 pt typeface, and 14 pt bold for headings.
Layout: publishers ask that authors do not justify the text on the right. For a thesis, you
can choose whether to justify on the right or not.
Paragraphs: It is important to distinguish clearly between paragraphs. You can indent
the first word of each new paragraph five to eight spaces. If you do not indent the first
word, make sure you leave one line between each paragraph. Avoid very short
paragraphs.
Abbreviations: acronyms are expressed in capitals without full stops, e.g. DES, HMSO,
UK and
USA. If the text contains numerous abbreviations, please provide an alphabetical list to
be included with the preliminary material at the front of the thesis (see below). If there is
no such list, explain abbreviations on their first occurrence e.g. LEAs (Local Education
Authorities).
Contractions: do not require a full stop e.g. Mr Mrs Dr
Capitalization: avoid overuse of capitals.
Note the following examples:
the church but the Church of England
radicalism, liberalism, socialism, capitalism, the state
the Communist Party, the Labour Party
left-wing politics, the right wing
there are many curriculum subjects, such as English, mathematics and science
Hyphens: be consistent with the use of hyphens e.g. 4-year-old child middle-class
outlook short term policies policy-making
Percentages: use figures for all percentages e.g. 9 per cent, 85 per cent. Always spell out
'per cent' in the text. In reporting quantitative data with a large number of percentages the
use of percentage sign (%) is permitted by following the convention of reporting
statistical results.
Numbers: when you write numbers in your text, use the word ten (for 10) up to an
including ten, after which use digits.
For example, John found eight ways in which teachers question students but 26 ways in
which they ignore their responses.
Ages: use figures for ages (e.g. 5-year-old boy, 22 years old) and times (e.g. 5 months, 3
hours)
Dates: use the following form: 18 February l984 (without commas). 1980s without
apostrophe.
Spell out centuries e.g. the twentieth century, the mid-nineteenth century. Be consistent
when expressing periods e.g. 1923-45, 1939-45
Italics: in the typescript use italics for book titles, foreign words, phrases such as via, et
al, ibid, op cit, passim. You can also use single quotation marks, e.g. ‘race’, to accentuate
or draw attention to a particular word or concept.
Spelling: always spell out 'and'; do not use &. Try to use English rather than American
spellings such as labour not labor, unless it is an American term such as ‘computer
programme’.
Structure
Chapters and sections: According to whether you are writing thesis or an assignment,
your wring must be divided into chapters and subchapters or sections and subsections
respectively, each of which is appropriately and concisely labelled. All headings should
be numbered with Arabic numerals. Begin each chapter on a new page and check that
chapter titles are concise. Sub-section headings should be standardised in terms of format
(size, type face, capitals or italics etc).
Page numbering: Number the typescript continuously from first page to the end (not
chapter by chapter) on bottom right hand corner (or centred). You do not normally put
page numbers on the coversheet, contents list, acknowledgement page or list of tables.
Footnotes: Footnotes should be used sparingly and only when they add information
helpful for the reader to understand the context of what you are writing. They should not
be used to construct your argument. Footnotes should be numbered and appear at the
bottom of each page. Footnotes should be single-spaced.
Reference list: This should follow the conventions described above. Make sure you have
used correct punctuation and that all the necessary information is provided for articles
and books. It should include only, and all, those works you have cited in your text. It is
not a bibliography of all material you have consulted. No bibliography is required.
Tables and Figures: Need to have titles and be numbered with Arabic numbers (e.g.
Table 1, Figure 1, Table 2, Figure 2…). All tables and figures must have the source of the
material indicated at the bottom of the table or figure (author, date, page number and
figure/table number in the original version). You may put small notes at the bottom of the
table or figure to help the reader understand the table’s content.
Preliminary Pages: Title page to include the full title of thesis, the degree for which it is
presented, your name, the Faculty of Education, the name of your supervisor, and the date
of submission (e.g. July 2002).